Petition Filed in Assembly to Extend Work Permit Duration for International Students

A petition requesting an increase of the currently-set duration of post graduate work permit for international students has been presented in the House of Commons.

The petition was presented on March 18, 2024, by Ruby Sahota, the Member of Parliament from Brampton North.

International Students in Canada are usually offered a one year post graduate work permit after completing a 8-month or one-year post graduate program and allows them to work for any employer in Canada.

However, international students graduating with a two year or more are authorized to get a work permit of three years.

Therefore, the new PGWP e4454 petition calls upon the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada to increase the duration of PGWPs being issued to international students.

The petition demands that the IRCC minister increase the duration of PGWP to 2 years for students graduating from an 8–12 month study program and to 5 years for students graduating from a study program of 2 years or more.

It was observed that students after completing their education require much more to land a job in their sector. Being in the job market is stressful for them and starting a new career in a new country requires a lot of skills and knowledge along with market research.

Kanwar Sumit Singh Sierah, an Ontario resident from Mississauga and Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) initiated the petition e4454.

The petition opened for signatures between October 18, 2023, and February 15, 2024.

During this time, the petition received 24,349 signatures from all the Canadian provinces and territories, with Ontarians contributing the most, with 16,686 signatures.

Navneet Kaur